South Korea Organizes Independent Memorial for Sado Mine Victims Following Boycott of Japan-Hosted Event.

Tokyo: The South Korean government conducted its own memorial service in Japan on Monday to pay tribute to Korean forced labor victims from the historic Sado mine complex. This move came after South Korea decided to boycott a Japan-led memorial over concerns about Tokyo's commitment to honoring the victims.According to Yonhap News Agency, the event saw participation from South Korean foreign ministry officials, along with nine family members and relatives of the victims. They gathered at a former lodging site for Korean laborers near the Sado gold and silver mines on Sado Island, located off Japan's west coast. The South Korean Ambassador to Japan, Park Cheol-hee, was also present at the ceremony.The memorial was organized a day after South Korea opted out of a similar event held by the regional Japanese government, which aimed to remember Sado mine forced laborers, including Koreans. The boycott was attributed to unresolved disagreements between the two governments leading up to the event. South Korea's decision was influenced by Japan's choice to send a vice foreign minister known for attending the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, which honors World War II war criminals, as their official representative. The shrine is a contentious symbol of Japan's past militarism and has been a point of friction, with South Korea opposing visits by Japanese officials.During Sunday's Japan-hosted event, Akiko Ikuina, the parliamentary vice minister, acknowledged in her speech that "many people from the Korean Peninsula" worked at the mines. However, she did not mention forced labor or Japan's colonial rule over Korea. South Korea's own ceremony featured an address by Ambassador Park honoring the victims, as well as a silent tribute and a wreath-laying.On Sunday, prior to the independent memorial, the South Korean foreign ministry emphasized that holding a separate ceremony underscored the government's steadfast determination not to compromise with Japan on historical matters. The ministry stated that it will continue to work towards improving bilateral relations in a manner that benefits both nations.